Henry's Fork Fly Fishing

Jan 1 – Feb 28

01—The Ice

The Madison is fishable if you want it badly enough. Most don't. The ones who do are who this calendar is for.

Mar 1 – Mar 31

02—The Report

Snowpack in the Tetons. USGS gauge on your phone. Flow data refreshed the way you refresh the weather forecast in November.

Apr 1 – May 15

03—Runoff

The rivers run chocolate and fast. The Henry's Fork equivalent of The Drought. Enforced patience. This is not a fishing page.

May 16 – May 31

04—The Salmonfly

The signal hatch. Giant prehistoric stoneflies on the Snake near Ashton. The season is officially, undeniably alive.

Jun 1 – Jun 7

05—The Box

Harriman Ranch opens. One week, one page. A single rise ring on a mirror surface. Everything stops.

Jun 8 – Jun 21

06—The Drake

Green Drakes on the Ranch. The event the entire Henry's Fork universe orbits around. Maddening and glorious. This is why.

Jun 22 – Jul 21

07—PMD

Pale Morning Duns. Reliable afternoon hatches, long evenings, the settled confidence of high summer on the water.

Jul 22 – Aug 31

08—Hoppers

Terrestrials. A foam hopper slapped against the undercut bank on the Madison. Aggressive, playful, deeply satisfying.

Sep 1 – Sep 15

09—The Turn

One morning the air is different. Sharper. The Buffalo River aspens are going. The evening hatches return. The clock is audible.

Sep 16 – Oct 14

10—October Browns

Brown trout in full spawning color — amber and crimson, heavy and aggressive. The most beautiful fish of the year. Fall is the cathedral.

Oct 15 – Nov 30

11—The Last Cast

Ice forming at the edges of the Madison. Cold light. The refusal to accept what's obvious, mixed with deep gratitude.

Dec 1 – Feb 28

12—Satisfied

The fly-tying bench. Every fly tied is a conversation with a fish not yet met. The season is already building again.